This story is part of a series on 1st Source Foundation’s grant program. Learn more about the program and the impact it has on communities across Northern Indiana here: https://portage.life/article/1st-source-foundation-and-1st-source-bank-work-together-to-create-a-better-community-for-all/
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana’s (NWI) South Haven location has been a fixture in the community since its opening 40 years ago. The location and its programming have touched the lives of community members – attending students, employees, parents – in ways that carry into the rest of their lives.
When it became apparent, however, that the South Haven Club’s age was beginning to show, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater NWI was faced with a difficult decision.
“The idea came up to, rather than have two separate clubs in Portage and South Haven, just have one club somewhere in the middle and serve that entire area,” said President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater NWI Mike Jessen. “From a business standpoint, that could make sense, but because of the South Haven Club’s four decades of history, experience, love, and affection, the last thing we wanted to do was to move out of that particular neighborhood.”
To prevent having to shutter the Club, Boys & Girls Club of Greater NWI launched a capital campaign to fund a comprehensive renovation of the South Haven location. These renovations include an expanded foyer with enhanced security for student pickup and drop off, additional storage space, and more.
“As you can imagine, after over 40 years and tens of thousands of kids trekking through the Club, it needed some significant renovations,” said Jessen. “We built the building a long time ago, and like anything, several maintenance-related items came up over time. The roof, the HVAC system, the electrical and plumbing – all of those primary systems in the building needed to be replaced. Even so, we knew we had every intention to stay in this particular location because the Club itself at that facility has served that community and that neighborhood so well.”
The renovated Club will include everything South Haven Club kids loved about it before. With dedicated meeting spaces, game rooms, and a STEM lab, the Club is hoping to help attendees grow as students and people. The Club also wants to acknowledge South Haven’s unique community – with Valparaiso addresses, county utilities, and within the Portage school system – while providing its students with the same opportunities they could find outside South Haven.
“We wanted to have a facility in South Haven with offerings as close as we could get to what we have in Valparaiso,” said Jessen. “We want to make sure that the kids in South Haven have every opportunity and everything at their disposal that the kids in Valparaiso have. We want to make sure that we make it a great experience no matter what club the kids belong to.”
South Haven’s unique community has presented unique challenges in the Club’s renovation. The renovation, a $5.5 million project, has faced some difficulty in terms of funding, but these difficulties have been partially offset thanks to generous donations from local businesses and grants from organizations like 1st Source Foundation.
“Compared to the city of Valparaiso or the city of Portage, South Haven doesn't have a lot of businesses or corporations that can contribute significant dollars to the campaign. That's why we're so appreciative that we have the large donations from folks that we've worked with in the past. 1st Source Foundation’s $50,000 grant helps in such a significant way,” said Jessen.
“1st Source Foundation has historically been a big supporter of the mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs organization as a whole. And this particular location helps so many kids and families in an area that greatly needs quality childcare programming,” said Matt Vessely, West Region President at 1st Source Bank. “They provide an invaluable resource to South Haven and we are honored to support this renovation.”
The South Haven Club capital campaign is still ongoing. Parties interested in donating to support the Club’s renovation can donate a monetary gift here or find other ways to become involved with the Clubs, such as through volunteer opportunities.
To learn more about the South Haven Club campaign, visit bgcgreaternwi.org/south-haven-campaign. To discover everything Boys & Girls Club of Greater Northwest Indiana has to offer, visit bgcgreaternwi.org.
1st Source Foundation helps fund local projects making a significant impact on their community. Those interested in applying for a grant should visit 1st Source Foundation’s page to learn about eligibility, application requirements, and more.
